From the archive, 11 May 1967: Rolling Stones on drug charges

Mick Jagger and Keith Richard, of the Rolling Stones group, and Robert Hugh Fraser, director of a London art gallery, were sent for trial at West Sussex Quarter Sessions at Chichester yesterday on charges involving drugs. They pleaded not guilty, and were each granted bail of £100.

Richard is charged with permitting his house at West Wittering to be used for the smoking of cannabis resin on February 12. Fraser faces charges of possessing heroin and eight capsules of methylamphetamine hydrochloride, Jagger is charged with being in possession of four tablets containing amphetamine sulphate and methylamphetamine hydrochloride. Mr Anthony McCowan, prosecuting at Chichester yesterday, said that a very strong, sweet, and unusual smell met detectives when they called at Richard's home. The police had called with a warrant under the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1965. There appeared to be a party in progress at which were eight men and one woman. Sticks of incense were found, and a tin which contained incense. There was no sign, however, that any incense had been burned.

Mr McCowan said that a phial containing tablets, which Jagger said he thought were prescribed by a doctor with a Knightsbridge address, bore a description in Italian. If these substances were available in Britain, they would have to be labelled with the name and address of the supplier or of the doctor. This went to show "that this preparation was not in fact supplied in this country at all".

'I'm diabetic'

Fraser had said that tablets found in his trouser pocket were prescribed by his doctor because "I'm a diabetic," Mr McCowan said.

A police officer asked him if he had a card and Fraser said he did not have one on him but that it might be upstairs. Both men went to a room upstairs, in which Fraser was staying, and searched for the card but could not find it.

Mr McCowan said the tablets and capsules were analysed and the white tablets were found to contain heroin hydrochloride, and the capsules methylamphetamine hydrochloride.

Of the case against Richard, Mr McCowan said that a police sergeant took from a drawing room table a briar pipe bowl which was found to bear traces of cannabis resin. A woman detective constable found a deposit on a table in the drawing room. On analysis, this was found to contain cannabis resin. Another officer went to a bedroom and took possession of three cigarette ends. These were also found to contain cannabis resin.

About this article

From the archive, 11 May 1967: Rolling Stones on drug charges

This article appeared in the Guardian
on Monday 10 May 2010.
It was published on
the Guardian website
at 10.53 EDT on Tuesday 11 May 2010.
It was last modified at 17.50 EDT on Wednesday 11 June 2014.
It was first published at 12.17 EDT on Thursday 3 June 2010.

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